Roman Bronze, Resting Apollo

Statuette of Apollo at Rest
Roman Empire, 1st century BCE - 3rd century CE  

- Material: Bronze  
- Height: 14 cm  

Provenance:  
- Collection M. S. (1942-2022)  

Comparable Works:  
- Apollo Sauroctonos: Rome, Villa Albani, inv. 952  
- Resting Satyr: Munich, Staatliche Antikensammlungen, inv. 228  
- Praxitelean style during the Hellenistic period: Pothos type attributed to Scopas, Rome, Capitoline Museums, Centrale Montemartini, inv. MC 02417  
- Apollo Lycian: Louvre, BR1057  

Description:  
This bronze represents a nude Apollo with his left arm resting on a now-missing support, while his left leg crosses over the right, which serves as the figure's base. The elegant, highly three-dimensional pose derives from the sculptural innovations of the Greek artist Praxiteles, particularly seen in the Apollo Sauroctonos and culminating in the Resting Satyr.  

The god's hairstyle features parotid locks, typically associated with Archaic Greek sculpture. This blend of stylistic elements from different periods suggests that this small bronze is a neo-Archaic production from Roman small-scale bronze statuary.  

The bronze underwent a drastic cleaning, a common practice for archaeological bronzes discovered before the 20th century, exposing the raw metal in some areas. However, the centuries of burial left undeniable traces on the metal, such as pitting, corrosion, and visible patches of cuprite (red) and malachite (green). The object's extended exposure to open air also reignited surface oxidation, resulting in a uniformly brown patina.